Air motor or locomotive.



wmf@ mw, www QN W MN Noe Patented Aug. 17, 1909;.

J. I. PITTMN c E. HARRISON.

AIR MOTOR 0R LOGOMOTIVB.

APnzoATIoH FILED un r1, 190e.

J. l. fl'l'VlAN 6L E. HARRISON.

AIR MOTOR OR LOGOMOTIVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1906.

981,643. Patented Aug. 1?, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

"tl STATES ATENT OIIEIQE,

.T AMES IRA PITTMAN AND ELIZABETH HARRISON, OF VALDOSTA, GEORGIA; SAIDHARRISON ASSIGNOR TO SAID PITTMAN.

AIR MOTOR OR LOCOMOTIVE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES Ina IITTMAN and ELIZABETH HARRISON, citizensof the United States, residing at Valdosta, in the county of Lowndes andState of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in AirMotors or Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air controlled motor devices such aslocomotive and stationary engines, vehicles and other mechanicalorganizations which can be driven or operated by air under compression.

In the preferred application of the invention to locomotive engines, thelatter are equipped with the usual wheel driving mechanism and cylinderswith which the pumps cooperate, a portion of these pumps being actuatedsolely by the movable elements of the engine, and the remaining portionof the pumps being manually operative and used only to start the engineand connected to a receiving` reservoir having communication by means ofsuitable pipes with storage reservoirs, and the storage reservoirsattached by conduits to a distributing reservoir simulating the usualboiler of a locomotive.

rIhe course pursued in starting and stopping the engine or other motordevice with which the invention is used will be more fully hereinafterspecified, and in all applications of the invention the object sought isa material saving in the expense of running a locomotive or other motor,as no fuel is required loaded on and carried by the motor, and themechanism ordinarily employed in connection with steam engines and othermotors is reduced to a` minimum in the present organization.

A further object is to maintain at all times within the distributingreservoir an effective air pressure for actuating the pistons, drivewheels, and other mechanisms.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an air locomotiveembodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe locomotive. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section, on an enlargedscale of one of the auxiliary pumping devices.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

rlhe numeral l designates a distributing reseivoir simulating anordinary locomotive boiler, but without the usual tubes and finesSpecification oi Letters Patent.

Application filed May 7, 1906.

Patented Aug. 17', 1909.

Serial N0. 315,655.

or other incidental attachments necessary in the control of steamproduction, conveyance, and storage. This reservoir will extend at itsrear terminal into a suitable cab 2, and attached to the workingorganization of the engine is the usual form of tender 3, which, in thisinstance willI serve not as a means for holding fuel, but as a supportand convenient device for positioning a receiving reservoir 4 andstorage reservoirs 5.

The storage reservoirs 5 are attached by pipes G and 7 to thedistributing reservoir l and between the said storage reservoirs and thereceiving reservoir l is a connecting lpipe 8, having a. valve S) in onebranch thereof, The receiving reservoir l also has a relief or exhaustvalve l0, for a purpose which will be presently setforth. On oppositesides of the longitudinal center of the forward portion of the engineand under the forward portion of the distributing reservoir l are pumps1l, which have suitable pistons and piston rods 13 connected by linkrods l5 and a rock shaft 15l to eccentrics 1G on one of the engine axles17. The eccentric mechanism 1G operates the pumps, and the latter are ofany preferred air pump construction, and are connected by pipes IS and19 to the receiving reservoir el.

The distributing reservoir l has opposite pipes 2O extending from therear thereof downwardly to cylinders Q1, the latter having suitablepiston rods 22 cooperating therewith and attached to drive rods 23, foractuating drive wheels Qel of the engine, this latter construction beingsimilar to an ordinary locomotive engine. The feed of the air from thedistributing reservoir l to the cylinders 2l is controlled by a throttlevalve 25 of suitable nature and accessible within the cab Q. Thedistributing reservoir l is also supplied with an inlet valve 2G locatedat the upper portion thereof for attachment thereto of a tube orsuitable connection from an air compressing mechanism that may be at astation or other .supply point for initially charging the said reservoirwith air to give the engine sufficient power or motive force to setthepumps in action. T he reservoir l will have a large capacity in practiceand a large volume of compressed air may be stored therein, thisreservoir serving as a main generating means between specified points orinterval stations where it will be replenished or resupplied withcompressed i. i t i air whenever found necessary. By the operation ofparts hereinafter specified and particularly the pumps 1l some air willbe forced back in the receiving reservoir 4 and from the latter flowinto the storage reservoirs 5 which serve as feeders for thedistributing reservoirs l when opened for communication with the saiddistributing reservoir. rJhe pressure in the distributing reservoir l,however, will always be materially greater or in excess of that requiredto operate the driving mechanism of the locomotive or engine and fromtime to time the said distributing reservoir will be replenished fromthe storage reservoirs 5 or at times when the quantity of compressed airin the distributing reservoir runs low and the engine is liable to stopbefore arriving at a station having a charging apparatus connectiblewith the said distributing reservoir.

In the operation of the motor, the compressed air is fed to thecylinders 21, which are entirely independent of the pumps 11 and have noconnection with the latter, and through the operation of the pistons inthe cylinders, which move alternately in opposite directions as inordinary locomotive engines, the drive wheels 24 will be actuated.

In addition to the usual link motions and slide valves, the improvedengine will include a signal device such as a whistle, if foundnecessary, or a bell operative from the cab, a head-light, and a fenderor catcher.

After the engine is started, when less power is required to maintain themotion than was required to start it, the pumps will be thrown intoservice to compress air in the reservoirs 4 and 5, to be eventuallysupplied to reservoir 1, to compensate for the amount of air withdrawnin excess of present needs, but when a stop is made thevalve 9 will beclosed and the valve 10 opened to prevent the establishment of pressurebetween the receiving reservoir and the two storage reservoirs 5, and toliberate air from the reservoir 4, so that the latter maybe clear forreceiving air from the pumps 11, for instance after the engine is againstarted. In a case of emergency the hand pumps may be operated to chargethe distributing reservoir through'the receiving reservoir 4` andstorage reservoirs 5, and when the hand pumps are operatedthe air thatmay be in the reservoir 4 at the time is liberated, so that the air maypass from the hand pumps into the reservoir 4 and from the latter intothe reservoirs 5 and then into the-distributing. reservoir, the handpumps being operated continuously until sufficient air has beencompressed in the distributing reservoir to actuate the drivingmechanism including the pumps 11. All the reservoirs will be of suchresistance, structurally, as to adapt them to receive air under pressureconsiderably in4 excess of that required to operate the locovvoir whenthe engine is started.

motive, and thus avoid any tendency to expand or injury to the operatordue to explosion. All of the reservoirs will be provided with suitablegages by which the amount of pressure within the several reservoirs maybe readily ascertained.

1t will be understood that the operation of the cylinders 21 and of thepumps 11 is entirely independent, or, in other words, the cylinders 2lare not the pumps, but separate organizations are used to pump the air,and have their pistons operated by the adjacent drive wheels tln'oughthe medium of the eccentrics 16, connecting rods 15, and rocker arms-orlinks 15a.

lVhen the engine is stopped by shutting olf the air from the cylindersthrough the operation of the throttle or controlling valve 25, thereceiving reservoir 4 is cut out from the storage reservoirs 5 toobviate any tendency to equilibrium of pressure in the severalreservoirs, and when the receiving reservoir is eut out, as set forth,the relief or exhaust valve 10 thereof is opened to permit all the aircontained in the receiving reservoir to escape. 1f the air was allowedto remain inthe receiving reservoir 4 when the engine is stopped andcommunication be maintained between said receiving reservoir and thestorage reservoirs, the receiving reservoir would not be in conditionfor further receiving air from the pumps 11, or in the case of emergencyby the operation of the hand pumps on opposite sides of the engineadjacent to the 4forepart of the cab, and for this reason equilibrium ofpressure in the reservoirs 4 and 5 must be obviated to avoid blockingthe movement of the engine in starting the latter, and which wouldresult if there vwas a resisting amount of air in the reservoir 4 to theintroduction of any more air in the said resern starting the engine, thethrottle or controlling valve '25 is opened, the valve 10 closed, and ata proper interval after the engine is in motion communication betweenthe receiving and storage reservoirs is reestablished, the enj gine whenin motion operating the pumps 11 to force air backwardly into thereceiving reservoir 4 undercompression. lWhen the engine is stopped andready to start again the receiving reservoir will have no pressure on/it and the engine will move olf quickly as there will be no resistanceto such motion but the draft strain of the train.

rllhe initial charging of the engine with air may be accomplished, in asimplified manner, by attaching the inlet valve 26 to an air pumpingmeans'located atI a station or other supply point and during suchinitial charging of the distributing reservoir the valve 25 will beclosed. The pressure of the air thus initially stored in the reservoir 1will have. sutlicient power or motive force to set 'the pumps in actionwhen the valve 25 is opened,

or to serve as a motive means until the engine is under headway and theair from the pumps 11 regularly forced back and compressed in thereceiving reservoir t, as before explained.

One of the most essential conditions precedent to the practicaloperation of the motor is the relative dimensions of the pumps ll andcylinders 2l or the proportionate areas of the pistons of the pumps andcylinders. Care will be exercised in the construction of these pumps andcylinders from a standpoint of proportions or difference in areas toinsure a replenishment of the compressed air within the distributingreservoir l through the actuation of the pumps in amount approximately7equal to the amount of air fed from the said distributing reservoir tothe cylinders or the exhaust of the compressed air from the distributingreservoir in excess of that required when the pumps are in service tomaintain the motion of the motor and its load, the said pumps forcingthe air backwardly into the auxiliary reservoir Ll and storagereservoirs 5 and from the latter into the distributing reservoir, ashereinbefore indicated. The motor pistons should have an area greaterthan that of the pump pistons by a difference sufficient to receive somuch power from the distributing reservoir as is required to maintain'the motion after it has been established under ordinary conditions. Whenthe motor is getting under way the pumps are out of service or areworking against a resistance not yet accumulated to its maximum. At thistime the power applied in the motor cylinders is, to start with, amaximum due to the pressure in the distributing reservoir applied to thewhole areas of the motor pistons. The net power applied is graduallyreduced from this maximum to that dueV to the pressure in thedistributing reservoir applied to the difference between the areas ofthe cylinder pistons and those'of the pump pistons. In going up gradeth-e pumps may be thrown out of service, if required, thus obtainingthe' maximum power again at this time. n going down grade, underconditions favorable to the action, the supply valve 25 may be closed,and the fall of the motor and its load may be utilized to -operate thepumps to store compressed air, thus replenishing the supply of power. lncases of emergency or when it is found that the gages indicate a lowpressure present in the several reservoirs, the

hand )tunis or the electricallr operated pumps may be independentlyutilized for rcstoring the necessary pressure in the distributingreservoir.

rl`he locomotive engine is also shown equipped with a hand or-manuallyoperated.

pump on each side which will be used independently of the air pumpingdevices located at stations or other points for initially charging thereservoir l or to otherwise replenish said reservoir if found necessaryat any time during the operation of the engine. This auxiliary manuallyoperative pump consists of an upper section 2S and a lower section 29,both sections being in the form of cylinders which are independent ofeach other and connected by an intermediate tubular union 30, providedwith suitable stutting boxes or glands 3l, through which and thecylinders a piston rod 32 extends and has on its lower end a piston head33 and on its upper portion a piston head Sil. rlhe lower cylinder 29with the piston head 33 serves as a double acting pump and has upper andlower inlet valves and 3G. rllhe upper cylinder and its piston 34 isalso a double acting pump and has suitable inlet valves 37 and 371.Connected to an intermediate portion of the upper cylinder 28 is a pipe38 having an exhaust valve 38d and a suitable governor 39 and acontrolling valve Ll0. This pipe 3S extends rearwardly and is connectedto the reservoir it. rl`he pipe 3S connects with a valve chamber d0 in apart of the wall of the section or cylinder Q8, and said valve chamberhas upper and lower passages il1 and all communicating with the upperand lower portions of the interior of said section or cylinder. Vithinthis valve chamber is a slide stem a2, with valves 42D fixed thereon andoperating to alternately open and close against seats 42C and 42d. rlheupper partof the auxiliary pump, when the valve l0 is open, will beeffective in storing air under pressure in the reservoir #l duringopposite strokes of the piston 31'-, but'when the valve d() is closedthere will be no resistance to the operation of the lower piston 33 byreason of the escape of the air through the exhaust valve 3S, the latterbeing opened under such conditions. The governor 39 may also have atrain pipe -itl attached thereto and the upper part of this auxiliarypump under these conditions. or where the train pipe Ll is atf tachedthereto, may be utilized in pumping air into the train line when thevalve -lO is closed.

The lower piston operates on both strokes, through the medium of theupper vand lower inlet valves 35 and 3G, to alternately draw in andforce air outwardly under compression therefrom, a pipe 42 beingconnected to the upper part of the lower section or cylinder 2 5) andalso to one end of the receiving reservoir 1l. A second pipe isconnected to the lower portion of the section or cylinder Q9 and to themain or distributing reservoir l, said pipe having a suitable4check-valve t4 therein to prevent the air stored in the reservoir l frompassing back to the lower section or cylinder 29.

Through the medium of the pipe connections 42 and 43, both thedistributing reservoir 1 and the receiving reservoir 4 will be suppliedwith air, and from the receiving reservoir, the air will pass to thestorage or auxiliary reservoirs 5, and thus the locomotive will beinitially prepared by the auxiliary pump set forth for startingoperations and supplied with a pressure sufficient to overcome thetractive resistance of the locomotive and cars that may be attachedthere` to. The pistons 34 and 33 and the piston rod are actuated by ahand lever 45, projecting rearwardly from the pump within easy reachingdistance through the forward part of the cab.

.ln addition to the check valve 44, the other pipes between the pumps 1land receiving reservoir 4 and between the manually operative pumpslocated immediately in advance of and close to the cab 2 will beprovided with suitable checlr valves,` as at 4G and 47 for preventingthe air from passing down to the pumps when the pistons of the latterare moving bacliwardly to Vtake thereinto new charges of air, and eachof' the pumps will have a distinct check valvev48 which willautomatically open when .the auxiliary reservoir 4 is cut out to permitthe escape` of the air from the pumps so that the latter may continue tooperate until the filled reservoir 4 is relieved of a portion of the aircompressed thereinto, or is free for storage of another charge of airthereinby the said pumps, it being understood that the check valves 4Sof the pumps will open only under excess pressure and not under normalconditions or when the receiving reservoir is thrown into communicationwith said pumps.

It will be understood that the pumps l1 will be constructed in allparticulars similar to ordinary air pumps, and provided with suitableinlets and relief means, and in view of the use of the check valves 4Gin the pipes 1S and 19 the air from the reservoir 4 cannot escape baclrto the pumps, and when liberated by the opening of the valve 10 will beforced to pass out through the said latter valve.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the locomotive is equipped withpumping means to meet various contingencies, and the same pumpingmechanisms and reservoir devices may be equally well used in connectionwith other motors either of a stationary or mov able type.

The proportions and dimensions of Vthe several reservoirs may also bechanged at will, as well as minor details of construction to adapt theimproved locomotive or motor for various uses.

As a further effective auxiliary in the operation of t-he motor devicehereinbefore explained, a storage battery comprising two batterysections 49 and 50 is disposed in the rear extremity of the tender ofthe motor pr air locomotive and electrically connected. An electricmotor 51 is connected to the battery section 50, and a generator 52 iselectrically connected kto the storage battery section 49. The motor 5lhas a pitman bar or other analogous' element 53 operatively attachedthereto and also to an air pump 54, having communication with one of thestorage reservoirs 5 through the medium of a valved pipe 55. A valvedpipe 56 is connected to the remaining storage reservoir 5, andcommunicates with an air engine or motor 57, having a pitman bar orother analogous vdevice 5S attached thereto and also to the generator52. The generator 52, as before indicated, is electrically connected vtothe storage battery section 49. ljhefunction of the auxiliary apparatusjust described is to start the air motor or locomotive withoutoperat-ing the hand pumps herevinbefore explained, and in the event thatthere is no air stored to start, the battery section 50 is connected tothe electric motor 51, through the medium of a switch 59. The

motor 51 is thus set in motion and the pitman bar actuates the pump 54to force air into the adjacent storage reservoir 5, itbeing understoodthat the valve in the pipe 55 will first be opened. This electricalauxiliary apparatus will always be ready for use or service,particularly if the hand pumps become disordered and it becomesnecessary to recharge the distributing reservoir before amain chargingstation is reached or in case the 'pressure in the distributingreservoir runs so low as to be ineffective in propelling the locomotive.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, is:

1. In an air motor of the class described, a distributing reservoiradapted to be charged at intervals from air compressing stations,storage reservoirs connected to the distributing reservoir, a receivingreservoir having pipe connection with the storage reservoirs, the pipeconnection being provided with cut-oif and exhaust valves, drivingmechanism including cylinders and pumps, tubular supply connectionsbetween the cylinders and distributing reservoir, tubular' connectionsbetween the pumps and receiving and storage reservoirs, and hand pumpsfor charging the distributing reservoir in the event that the pressurein the latter runs low.

2. In an air motor of the class described, a distributing reservoiradapted to be charged at intervals from air compressing stations,storage reservoirs connected to the distributing reservoir, a receivingreservoir having pipe connection with the storage reservoirs, the pipeconnection being provided with cut-off and exhaust valves, drivingmechanism including cylinders and pumps, tubular supply connectionsbetween the cyllOO inde'rs and distributing reservoir, tubularconnections between the pumps and receiving and storage reservoirs, andauxiliary electric motor means and pump devices connected to the storagereservoirs.

8. In an air motor of the class described, a distributing reservoir andmeans for charging and maintaining the necessary quantity of air underpressure in the'distributing reservoir and including pump means actuatedby the motor while traveling, and other pump means operableindependently of the first named pump means, all the pump means beingconnected up to the distributing reservoir and that actuated by thetraveling movement of the motor having a controllable exhaustcooperating therewith and which will permit the latter pump means to runwithoutstorage effect.

4L. In a motor driven solely by compressed air, a distributingreservoir, means for charging and maintaining the necessary quantity ofair under pressure in the distributing reservoir and including pumpmeans actuated by the motor while traveling, cylinder means suppliedwith compressed air from the distributing reservoir and serving as themain driving means for the motor,

and valve means controlling the relative sup-I ply and exhaust of theair.

5. In a motor driven solely by compressed air, a distributing reservoir,means for charging and maintaining the necessary quantity of air underpressure in the distributing reservoir and including pump means actuatedby the motor while traveling, and driving mechanism for the motorincluding drive wheels and cylinder means, the cylinder means beingsupplied with air under pressure from the distributing reservoir toactuate the drive wheels, the pump means serving solely to establish airpressure within the reservoir.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence ol twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES IRA PITTMAN. ELIZABETH HARRISON.

Titnesses l/V. I-IAwKiNs, T. C. GRIFFIN.

